Millerdraft Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 This team doesn't need another powerforward. Sure we got pushed around last year, but we've already improved enough with Higgins and Booth playing a top-6 role over Samuelsson and Raymond. Last year we had a "tough", "gritty" 3rd line that hardly ever scored in the playoffs but this season we were looking fine with 2 20-goal scorers (a common theme amongst the last 5 cup winners) on our third line who would contribute when our top-6 were shutdown again. Instead of acquiring what this team really needed (defensive depth), we take 1 step forward with a veteran Cup winner in Pahlsson, but 2 BIG steps back by losing Hodgson and getting a fringe NHL player in return. Everyone is moaning that we lost our version of Chicago's '09-'10 Kris Versteeg (you know, that 20g 30a 50pt 3rd line player). What those people are missing are the similarities between Kassian & another member of that 3rd line that played a major role in the Blackhawks Cup win. That 6'3" 205lbs guy came in as a 20 year old (December D.O.B.) and promptly put up 11g 8a 19pts -9 in his first 25gp at the AHL level. He got recalled and put up 6g 5a 11pts & 33 hits in 29gp on the 3rd highest scoring team in the NHL that year but when the playoffs rolled around? He "only" put up 2g 3a 5pts in 17gp but he had 41 solid, heavy hits and one of his two goals was the GWG of game #2 in the Stanley Cup final. He played a big, albeit underrated, part of the 'Canes' Cup win in '05-'06. That's Kassian's floor - Andrew Ladd. His ceiling? Who knows? But if people want to throw around names like Yzerman & Sakic in the same sentence as CoHo (crazy to me - Chris Drury is more like it) then people could throw the name of Brendan Shanahan into the conversation on Kassian (just as crazy). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adamth Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I was a bit sad to see Cody go- but I'm now more curious to see how the new cup ring fellow will turn out to be. He might answer our Cody kinda guy questions - with Cody being like the young Joe Sakic. As for Zack well enough positive points said. I wanna see this guy rip the guts out of great teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanucksBen Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Had great chances today, he's gonna score soon the way hes playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassian Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Any of you guys think MG is considering sending Kassian down next year so he can develop better, or guys think he's gonna stay up here? I personally think he'll get sent down next season and called up after 20 games then stay with the team.......when MG made the trade and reporters asked about Kassian, he said something along the lines of 'he'll be on the team for now'. Having Bitz sent down indicates that Kass will be up here for the rest of the season. If we would have got another forward in the trade I would say yes but we need this dude for the playoffs. It'll be better for him(and his career) if he experiences a long playoff run. We can't really determine or draw conclusions where he'll be next year. Who knows. My guess would be he stays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UFCanuck Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg1GYJKvB38 Kassian's going to be such a huge help in the playoffs. If the Sedins are getting handled at any point, even though they are tough. Put Kassian on there line and he can take care of the dirty stuff after the whistles. Every team hates Burrows and Kesler and want to kill them. Put them on a line with Kassian and let them loose, now they have some back-up if a brawl breaks out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanucksBen Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I bet one +1 that Kass scores next game against Buffalo, any takers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanucksBen Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 You all owe my pluses. Congrats Kassian! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baercheese Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 what a shot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dasein Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 1st point as a Canuck on the assist on Booth's goal 1st goal as a Canuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UFCanuck Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Three words: 1) Beast 2) Monster 3) Killer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taelin Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 2 point night for Zack! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master 112 Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 I've always liked this guy... Now I'm starting to love him. Always been a fan of power-forward type players with some skill. I was only a kid when Bertuzzi was here (to be fair, I guess I'm still a kid), and hardly remember anything from that time, but I do remember he was my favourite player. I hope he gets to stay on the second line to start next game, but if he starts to get lazy or whatever he should be demoted quickly. Don't want a young guy like him to take that spot for granted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dasein Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Remember guys - Zack Kassian was traded once before in his junior career - to the Windsor Spitfires. Windsor acquired Zack for their playoff run - they won the Memorial Cup. This kid has been coveted by contenders before to be a difference maker and he knows what people want from him when they trade for him and what it takes to win it all (though it was at the junior level). Basically what I'm trying to say is - he's been through this ride before, and came out on top. This kid knows how valuable he is and what is valuable about him. Very excited to see him in the playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millerdraft Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 1st point as a Canuck on the assist on Booth's goal 1st goal as a Canuck I'm not sure if people remember all the loose pucks just layin' there in front of Thomas in the finals last year but I, for one, am glad that we now have three guys in Booth-Kesler-Kassian that will drive the net (and have the strength to get there) looking for the dirty goals on the inside. I was going crazy watching those glorious possible 2nd chance opportunities turn into easy transition breakout passes for Boston... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*vInTaGe* Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Nice hard shot, love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel Heyman Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Is it just me or do Bert and Kass look relatively alike? Except Bert is Italian and nearly 20 years older. Same look in their eyes though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangerines Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 It sure was nice to see our second line producing some big goals last night. Hopefully AV has some sense to keep these guys together to build up some chemistry before the playoffs because we sure can use that secondary goal support down the stretch. I for one am proud to say that I was a fan of this trade from the start. I was already familiar with what kind of player ZK9 is and what he could bring to this team. As you noticed he can make any of our lines better whether it be crashing and banging and being physical on the fourth, or making plays and putting up points with limited ice time on the scoring lines. ZK9 can help us in so many ways and the best part is he is only going to get better. That being said last night we went down early and the team put themselves in a pretty bad position for the rest of the game. If I could choose a few positive things about the game it would be that we managed to score 3 five on five goals while Buffalo was clogging up the neutral zone after they took the lead. Another would be that our second line was the reason we got on the score sheet. That really hasn't happened consistently in a while, so here's to hoping we can continue getting some fire power from that line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckfan_sincebirth Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Ehhh, no. We have many Kassian like players in our farm and in the OHL. lol like who? If we did he woulda been up there along time ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avelanch Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Booth-Kesler-Kassian was amazing, and I hope AV keeps that line together. 3 big powerful fast hitting guys with offensive talent. it's like our own version of the legion of doom. It looks like this trade will work out afterall. cody will still probably have a better career, but kassian's performance so far has made the bitter pill much easier to swallow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Everyone is moaning that we lost our version of Chicago's '09-'10 Kris Versteeg (you know, that 20g 30a 50pt 3rd line player). What those people are missing are the similarities between Kassian & another member of that 3rd line that played a major role in the Blackhawks Cup win. That 6'3" 205lbs guy came in as a 20 year old (December D.O.B.) and promptly put up 11g 8a 19pts -9 in his first 25gp at the AHL level. He got recalled and put up 6g 5a 11pts & 33 hits in 29gp on the 3rd highest scoring team in the NHL that year but when the playoffs rolled around? He "only" put up 2g 3a 5pts in 17gp but he had 41 solid, heavy hits and one of his two goals was the GWG of game #2 in the Stanley Cup final. He played a big, albeit underrated, part of the 'Canes' Cup win in '05-'06. That's Kassian's floor - Andrew Ladd. His ceiling? Who knows? But if people want to throw around names like Yzerman & Sakic in the same sentence as CoHo (crazy to me - Chris Drury is more like it) then people could throw the name of Brendan Shanahan into the conversation on Kassian (just as crazy). I was also thinking Andrew Ladd as a comparison. Similar scenario to ours in Carolina and Chicago, player cap-wise and style-wise, although those teams seemed a bit deeper at the time. Hopefully Kassian has the same result as Ladd in his rookie year. Cheers. TOML Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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